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'Coffee Group' had hard time

Both AL, BNP saw bias in its diplomacy

Reaz Ahmad
In weeks preceding the 1/11 political changeover of 2007, foreign diplomats then stationed in Dhaka had hectic backstage parleys under a diplomatic circle known as “Coffee Group”.
And often they took the risks of being branded either as pro-Awami League or as pro-BNP by the
leaders belonging to both sides of Bangladesh's perennial political divide.
Some US diplomatic cables leaked on August 30 this year by the whistleblower website WikiLeaks show that key missions in Dhaka coordinated their efforts to respond to the pre-1/11 political crisis and the primary vehicle for cooperation was the Coffee Group.
The Coffee Group was comprised of the mission chiefs of the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, the United Nations representative, the head of the European Commission delegation and the German ambassador representing the European Union presidency.
Japan was also invited as the situation warranted. The group used to meet frequently on an ad hoc basis, said a cable dated January 11,2007.
But for their engagements with different political parties in Bangladesh, Awami League and BNP used to accuse them of being biased to the other side (the respective opposition).
In the November 30, 2006 cable, the then US ambassador Patricia A Butenis said during her meeting with the BNP chief Khaleda Zia the previous day, the latter bristled "You diplomats all support the Awami League," and insisted the caretaker government was completely neutral and that AL's demands were endless and pointless.
Butenis, however, reminded Khaleda that AL accuses her of being pro-BNR and that "our focus remains on the integrity of the process without fear or favour for any politicalparty."
Khaleda and her party colleagues reiterated their view that Awami League was violent, vengeful, perfidious, and that there was “not one iota of trust" in AL, the cable reads.
The US envoy noted she did not represent the opposition Awami League, but like the UN, the EU, and other diplomatic missions in Dhaka, they had concerns about the framework being put in place for the upcoming election.
It is evident, she stated, that the former ruling party (BNP) continues to exert great influence on the chief adviser and that the caretaker government is not acting neutrally or effectively to resolve obvious obstacles to a successful election.
Khaleda said her party could accept modifications in the candidate registration dates in the election schedule, provided polling day remains on or about January 22. She expressed confidence in winning the election because, Khaleda said, the October 28 blood-letting unleashed by the opposition reminded apprehensive Bangladeshis of the AL's propensity for violence and
confrontation.
The Coffee Group, however, had been clear that it did not endorse AL's position. “Our messages to the AL have been unambiguous: the violence must end; fostering chaos and instability will harm the country's image and economy; and we do not support military intervention or any other extra-constitutional military solutions to the crisis,” read a cable.
Butenis had also expressed concern to Sheikh Hasina about the latter's hesitation to engage in constructive talks, and urged her to be ready to negotiate.
Prior to the 1/11 change-over most the Coffee Group participants had issued statements locally urging full participation in the elections and calling on all sides to avoid violence, another cable says.
“The (Coffee) group agrees, Washington and London should approach Bangladesh's major multilateral development partners -- the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Asian Development Bank -- to request similar statements, within their own institutional constraints.”
According to the cable the Coffee Group plus Japan were scheduled to meet with then BNP secretary general Mannan Bhuiyan and AL general secretary Abdul Jalil on January 11, 2007 to reinforce their concerns.
On January 10, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement calling on all sides to compromise and refrain from violence.
A US diplomatic cable says in days leading to the would-be cancelled January 22 polls, many election observation missions including that of USAID-funded National Democratic Institute and International Republican Institute, the Commonwealth and European Commission had been cancelled. The 34-member Election Working Group, the domestic observation organisation set up by the Asian Foundation, had also announced it would not undertake a national election monitoring initiative under the prevailing circumstances.
According to the leaked cables, the international community's efforts to help resolve the political impasse received intense coverage in the Bangladeshi press.
In her comments in a January 11,2007 cable Butenis wrote, “We have declined to be drawn into a discussion of the constitutionality of holding or postponing the election, emphasizing instead that the problem is political in nature and can only be solved if the two parties agree. We stress to both sides the damage done to Bangladesh's economic status and democracy by the parties' refusal to compromise.”